Former Inter midfielder Antonio Sabato has suggested that the club need their ex-striker Romelu Lukaku, provided he is willing to take a wage cut.

The Belgium international fired Inter to the Scudetto last season before departing for Chelsea in a €115 million deal in the summer, but has struggled for form in the Premier League since returning to Stamford Bridge.

In an interview with Tuttomercatoweb.com, Sabato argued that Lukaku was not suited to English football and that he would be forgiven for leaving Inter, as his funds helped secure the club’s future.

“Inter need Lukaku,” Sabato claimed. “Apart from solving Lautaro Martinez’s problems, they would need his physicality and his goals. I forgive him. We would have gone bankrupt without the sale of him and [Achraf] Hakimi. Who else could we have sold?

“If he wants to return, he has to lower his salary. In England he has only done well at Everton, the Premier League is not for him.”

Sabato turned his attention to Inter’s Serie A campaign as they seek to retain the Scudetto, and insisted that faltering form in recent weeks was down to tiredness and that the Nerazzurri would rediscover their spark.

“Inter are now a bit tired, Simone Inzaghi is rotating the squad a bit but we can’t tell him anything, he is having a great season. For me, Inzaghi is ready to win the Scudetto, I see him prepared for it,” he concluded.

Sabato began his career at Inter and made 80 appearances between 1976 and 1985, before moving on to Torino, Ascoli, and Alessandria. The midfielder also earned four caps for Italy.